Sunday, January 31, 2016

Netflix Acquires Format Rights To Nickelodeon Israel's "The Greenhouse"; To Adapt Series For US Audiences

Netflix has acquired the format rights to the hit Nickelodeon Israel's hit drama series "The Greenhouse" - the US media giants first Israeli television show!

In the landmark deal, Netflix will remake and adapt "The Greenhouse" for American audiences. While the Israeli series takes place on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, the American version, to be filmed in Israel, will be set near the Pacific Ocean in Southern California.

Paula Yoo (West Wing, Defiance, Eureka) is adapting with showrunner Giora Chamizer, who wrote and created the original series. Nutz Productions, a subsidiary company of Ananey Communications (which broadcasts Nickelodeon domestically), will produce the American series for Netflix.

The American version of "The Greenhouse" will retain the title "The Greenhouse" and will be released for streaming in 2017.

"The Greenhouse", locally titled "החממה"/"HaKhamama" in Hebrew, is one of the leading teen brands in Israel. The series has been broadcast to Yes subscribers on Nickelodeon Israel for three seasons. In the past two years the show won the Israeli Academy Award for Best Kids' & Youth Drama.

"החממה" theme song (original Hebrew version), sung by Lee Biran, who plays Iftach in the series

"The Greenhouse" is a scripted series that follows the life's of a brother and sister, who, after losing their mother in a spaceship crash, arrive at an elite boarding school for gifted future leaders: The Greenhouse. They join two competing houses within the school - the Eagles and the Ravens - and soon become rivals. Soon, mysterious developments draw the rival houses into a secret investigation where they expose a destructive plot. Only by joining forces can they save the country from a disaster! As they fight against evil, the heroes of The Greenhouse also cope with typical teen struggles such as love, friendship, competition and betrayal, all in a unique world which appeals to anyone who loved "Harry Potter", "The Hunger Games", and the "Divergent" trilogy.

The first season of "The Greenhouse" broke all viewership records on Israeli satellite TV, with a second and third season green-lighted almost immediately after its debut. The show was accompanied by a groundbreaking marketing strategy, including a unique smartphone app, Facebook, and Instagram campaigns.

The deal with Netflix was led by Ananey Communications CEO Orly Atlas Katz, together with CAA's Adam Berkowitz, the company's representative in the US. "The Greenhouse" was sold without having filmed a pilot episode.

Ananey Communications is fully owned by Udi Miron, who also serves as President. It is one of the largest content, production, and distribution companies in Israel; it owns more than 15 television channels, including The Food Channel, The Travel Channel, The Good Life Channel, and Ego.

Ananey is also the exclusive representative of global media giant Viacom in the region, and airs several of the media company's television channels, including MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, and Nick Jr.

Netflix is an American multinational provider of on-demand Internet streaming media. Its content is always accessible on a variety of platforms using its applications. Its garnered critical acclaim for several of its original offerings, such as "Orange Is The New Black" and "House of Cards".

The company recently entered the Israeli market, with a subscription rate starting at $7.99 per month. However, its interface has yet to be localized for a Hebrew-speaking audience.

In the past few years, the Israeli content scene has captured the attention of the global industry. British company FremantleMedia recently acquired control of production company Abot Hameiri, in order to turn the latter into its content producer for the former's many international subsidiaries.

Among the most notable sales of Israeli content in the world is "Prisoners of War" from Keshet, which became the Showtime hit "Homeland", now in its fifth season.

According to the model for these sales, the most significant revenue from such deals only materializes when the shows are renewed for additional seasons. However, the fact an Israeli company will produce the show locally means the domestic industry will derive economics benefits.

Atlas Katz said she was proud that Netflix "chose 'The Greenhouse' for an original series a first for an Israeli show. We believed in 'The Greenhouse' from the beginning; we were overjoyed when it became a resounding success in Israel, and we believe it will succeed and become popular throughout the world in its new production. It is a source of pride for us, and we hope this is the first of many Israeli formats produced and distributed by Netflix. Congratulations are in order to Giora Chamizer, the creator and writer. We believe he will excel as a showrunner of a global production."

In a conversation with "Globes", the Ananey CEO said, "We need to treat these Israeli productions as a startup like any other and as an opportunity to export our capabilities in original writing and production to the rest of the world."

She said they will soon begin determining whether the state will be able to assist in the Israeli production of the series.

Chamizer added: "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me, to bring 'The Greenhouse' to an audience of dozens of millions of children worldwide. I am grateful to Orly and to the whole Nickelodeon crew for their support from day one. The association with Netflix is surreal, and we must all prove our worth. The fact the series will be produced in Israel attests to the massive leap the television industry has made, and the success of ‘The Greenhouse’ will spell success for all of us."